The Journal of Community Medicine and Health Sciences (JCMHS) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of ethical conduct in scholarly publishing. These Ethical Standards for Authors outline the professional responsibilities and integrity requirements expected from all authors who submit manuscripts to the journal. They are aligned with the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and World Association of Medical Editors (WAME).

All authors must adhere to the journal’s ethical guidelines to ensure integrity, accuracy, and transparency in scientific communication.

1. Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must ensure that submitted manuscripts are original works that have not been published or submitted elsewhere. Proper citation and acknowledgment of sources are mandatory. JCMHS uses iThenticate software to screen all manuscripts for plagiarism, duplicate publication, and data overlap. Any detected unethical copying will result in rejection and possible reporting to the author’s institution.

2. Authorship Criteria

Authorship should reflect substantial intellectual contributions. Each listed author must meet all of the following criteria as defined by ICMJE:

Significant contribution to the conception, design, data acquisition, or analysis of the study;
Drafting or critically revising the manuscript for important intellectual content;
Final approval of the version to be published;
Accountability for all aspects of the work ensuring integrity and accuracy.

Individuals who contributed technically or administratively but do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately.

3. Data Accuracy and Research Integrity

Authors are responsible for the accuracy and reliability of data. Fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of data, figures, or images is unethical and strictly prohibited. Authors should retain raw data for possible verification by editors or reviewers for a minimum of five years after publication.

4. Ethical Approval for Studies

All research involving human participants must have approval from a recognized ethics committee or institutional review board.
Animal studies must comply with national and international animal welfare guidelines (e.g., ARRIVE).
Authors must provide the ethics approval reference number in the manuscript’s Methods section.

5. Informed Consent

For studies involving human participants, authors must obtain informed consent, ensuring privacy and confidentiality. When images, videos, or identifiable information are used, written consent for publication must be explicitly obtained and documented.

6. Clinical Trials Registration

All clinical trials must be prospectively registered in publicly accessible registries such as ClinicalTrials.gov or CTRI. The registration number should appear in the abstract or Methods section.

7. Conflicts of Interest

Authors must declare any potential financial, personal, or professional conflicts that could influence the interpretation of their research. If no conflicts exist, the statement should read: “The authors declare no conflicts of interest.”

8. Funding Disclosure

Authors must disclose all sources of financial and material support received during the study, including grants, institutional funds, or industry collaborations. Transparency ensures readers can evaluate potential influence on research outcomes.

9. Redundant or Duplicate Publication

Submitting the same or substantially similar manuscript to multiple journals constitutes unethical publishing. Authors must disclose related prior submissions or overlapping content, including conference abstracts or preprints, at the time of submission.

10. Data Sharing and Availability

Authors should make underlying data available upon reasonable request or through open repositories (e.g., Zenodo, Dryad, Figshare). A Data Availability Statement must be included in all research papers indicating where data can be accessed.

11. Image and Figure Integrity

Figures should accurately represent data. Image enhancement or alteration that distorts findings is prohibited. Adjustments to brightness or contrast are acceptable only if applied uniformly and disclosed in the Methods section.

12. Acknowledgment of Sources

Proper acknowledgment of all sources, collaborators, and funding bodies is mandatory. Authors should credit previous relevant work to provide appropriate context and recognition.

13. Corrections and Retractions

Authors must cooperate with the editorial office to correct errors promptly. Serious ethical violations, including plagiarism or data fabrication, will result in retraction according to COPE Retraction Guidelines. Corrections, errata, and retractions remain permanently linked to the article DOI.

14. Confidentiality during Peer Review

Authors must not contact reviewers directly or attempt to influence the review process. Confidential information obtained through peer review must not be used for personal advantage or shared without permission.

15. Submission Integrity and Declaration

During submission, authors must confirm the following statements:

The work is original and has not been published elsewhere.
All co-authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
The research complies with ethical standards and data integrity principles.
All conflicts of interest and funding sources are disclosed.

16. Language and Professional Conduct

Authors should maintain professional tone and respect in communication with editors, reviewers, and staff. Abusive or coercive language will not be tolerated and may result in rejection or suspension of future submissions.

17. Use of Generative AI or Automated Tools

Authors using generative AI or automated writing tools must disclose this clearly in the Methods or Acknowledgments section. AI tools may not be listed as authors. Authors remain fully responsible for the content’s accuracy and ethical compliance.

18. Corrections before Publication

Authors may request corrections before final publication during the proofing stage. Substantial modifications post-acceptance must be approved by the editorial team to preserve record integrity.

19. Retained Copyright and Licensing

Authors retain copyright of their work under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), allowing redistribution with proper attribution. Ethical use of third-party materials must comply with this license.

20. Misconduct Investigation and Sanctions

In cases of suspected misconduct, the journal follows COPE flowcharts and may take measures such as:

Rejecting the manuscript;
Issuing a correction or retraction notice;
Informing the author’s institution or funding agency;
Restricting future submissions.

21. Author Cooperation during Investigation

Authors must cooperate fully during any editorial inquiry into ethical concerns. Failure to respond promptly may result in publication delay or retraction.

22. Post-Publication Responsibilities

If significant errors or ethical breaches are discovered after publication, authors must immediately inform the Editor-in-Chief. The editorial team will assess and, if necessary, issue an erratum, corrigendum, or retraction notice.

23. Data Protection and Privacy

Authors must comply with data-protection regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Personal data collected during studies should be anonymized and used solely for scientific purposes.

24. Consequences of Ethical Non-Compliance

Failure to adhere to these standards may lead to rejection, blacklisting, or notification to relevant institutions. All decisions are guided by COPE and ICMJE best-practice frameworks.

25. Contact and Support

For clarification regarding ethical standards or submission ethics, authors may contact:

Email: [email protected]
Subject: “Ethics Query – [Manuscript ID]”
Response time: within 5 business days

“Integrity in authorship builds the foundation of trust upon which the scientific community thrives.”